P680

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

P680, or Photosystem II primary donor, (where P stands for pigment) refers
to any of the 2 special chlorophyll dimers (also named special pairs), P
D1
or
P
D2
.
[1]
These 2 special pairs form an excitonic dimer, which means that they
behave in function as a single entity; i.e., they are excited as if they were a
single molecule. The 680 number is its absorption maximum in the red part of
the visible spectrum (680 nm). The primary donor receives excitation energy
either by absorbing a photon of suitable frequency (colour) or by excitation
energy transfer from other chlorophylls within photosystem II. During
excitation, an electron is excited to a higher energy level. This electron is
subsequently captured by the primary electron acceptor, a pheophytin molecule
located within photosystem II near P680. The oxidized P680 (P680
+
) is
subsequently reduced by an electron originating from water (via Oxygen
evolving complex).
Oxidized P680 (P680
+
) is the strongest biological oxidizing agent known. It has
an estimated redox potential of ~1.3 V.
[2]
This makes it possible to
oxidize water during oxygenic photosynthesis.

P700
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
P700, or Photosystem I primary donor, (where P stands for pigment) is
the reaction-center chlorophyll a molecule in association with photosystem I.
Its absorption spectrum peaks at 700 nm. When photosystem I absorbs light, an
electron is excited to a higher energy level in the P700 chlorophyll. The resulting
P700 with excited electron is designated P700*, and is the strongest biological
reducing agent (in contrast to P680
+
of photosystem II, the strongest biological
oxidizing agent). The electron is subsequently captured by the primary electron
acceptor. Type I photosystems use ferredoxin-like iron-sulfur cluster proteins as
terminal electron acceptors. Photosystem I is more complex than photosystem II
(P680), as it has a more complex antenna system, has more subunits in its overall
structure, and may exhibit cyclic or non-cyclic electron transfer from the excited
P700* to the electron acceptor.